EL phosphors are known and are used throughout various industries. EL phosphors exhibit electroluminescence in response to application of an alternating current voltage to the EL phosphor. EL phosphors may also exhibit electroluminescence in response to an electrical field generated by the alternative current voltage. As a result, EL phosphors are used, for example, in personal digital assistant (PDA) displays, cellular phone displays, in watches, and even in luminescent lighting technology.
It is also known to use conventional phosphors in coating compositions. Conventional phosphors accumulate energy from an external light source, such as the sun, and luminesce for a limited period of time as a result of this accumulated energy. Conventional phosphors are not EL in the sense that they do not respond to application of alternating current voltage or to an electrical field. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,472,737 and 5,874,491 conventional phosphors are included in coating compositions that are used as highway or roadway paint compositions. Conventional phosphors have also been included in coating compositions that are used as vehicle, or automotive, paint compositions. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,056 conventional phosphors, specifically phosphor-coated beads, are included in reflective paint compositions to enhance light emission. On the other hand, EL phosphors have not been incorporated into coating systems for vehicles.
All of the above compositions and the coating systems formed from these coating compositions are inadequate. In particular, the initiation of luminescence resulting from the conventional phosphors cannot be effectively controlled. In other words, an operator cannot selectively activate the coating system to luminesce whenever the operator desires. Furthermore, because these coating systems do not make use of the electricity of the vehicle, the duration of the luminescence cannot be effectively controlled. In other words, the duration of the luminescence of the coating system is dependent on the amount of energy accumulated by the conventional phosphor.
Due to the inadequacies identified above, it is desirable to provide an EL coating system, including an EL phosphor, for a vehicle and a method of providing the EL coating system. More specifically, it is desirable to provide an EL coating system that enables an operator of the vehicle to control when, and for how long, the EL coating system luminesces by using an EL phosphor and the electricity of the vehicle.